


Sometimes leadership is stepping back, not stepping up

by Cantabo



Category: Letterkenny (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Episode: s08e02, Gen, I don't know why I wrote this, Shoresy Character Study, Soft Hockey Boys, that's also what I said when I turned in my thesis proposal lmfao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24930922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantabo/pseuds/Cantabo
Summary: “He’s a liability, and I wouldn’t trust him in a leadership role.” -Bob McKenzie, TSNSet during 8.02.
Relationships: Jonesy & Reilly & Shoresy (Letterkenny)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	Sometimes leadership is stepping back, not stepping up

**Author's Note:**

> No one asked but I have a headcanon that Shoresy was a figure skater as a kid and that’s why he skates like that.

Jonesy noticed that Shoresy wasn’t on his game right around the end of the first period of the championship. His chirping was a little more cutting than usual, going for the jugular instead of the superficial veins he usually aims for, and exploits. Jonesy knows that despite Shoresy being one of the worst people he’s ever met, Shoresy cares about the team. Even if it’s just for the W’s, Shoresy takes their opponent’s focus and pisses on it like no one else. He has an uncanny ability to snap any kind of unified concentration that a team has into shards.

That’s what Coach said about him, anyways. Jonesy could concede that their coach had a point, and he tried to keep that in mind when Shoresy slammed his stick into the goal post after the first period. Jonesy watched, nudging Reilly, who was busy chirping at one of the other team’s players. 

Reilly looks to where Jonesy nods and raises an eyebrow. They eye Shoresy as they skate towards the locker room. Jonesy wonders if hell has frozen over for him to be genuinely concerned about _Shoresy._

Jonesy and Reilly end up sitting on either side of Shoresy in the locker room. Coach is yelling about plays and team morale and generally just yelling. He yells until he seems to tire himself out, tells the team to kick some ass, and then the boys are shuffling back onto the ice, a shadow of fear over them all. Not necessarily fear of their opponents, but rather, fear of failure.

Jonesy pats Shoresy on the shoulder when the team stands. He can’t help but flinch when Shoresy’s head snaps up, eyes locking with Jonesy’s. He looks lost, and Jonesy doesn’t know how to help beyond giving him a small smile and a reassuring nod. Shoresy looks even more lost, but Jonesy’s reassurance seems to be enough to put his head somewhat back in the right mindset.

The second period starts rough and only gets worst, the mountain that is Quebec’s JJ-Frankie-JJ trips Shoresy no less than four times with his stick. Reilly’s jaw drops in shock when Shoresy skates circles around everyone like he’s gliding on air, and the asshole still knocks him down. 

Shoresy takes it out on their goalie, who already looks close to tears, and furiously skates away. 

Jonesy and Reilly switch positions so that Jonesy is on defense, and Reilly is on offense. Then, try to work together to keep JJ occupied, away from Shoresy. Jonesy figures that if they can find a way to separate the two players, then the team has a chance to work its magic. They do alright at first, but JJ seems to pick up on their plan pretty quick, and barrels past Reilly and Jonesy to get the puck once he does.

Shoresy is on him instantly, barrelling after JJ like a bat out of hell. JJ’s foot comes out too far on purpose and trips up Shoresy, sending him to the floor as JJ scores another goal.

Shoresy breaks another stick. 

Jonesy can’t really blame him.

Shoresy’s voice is hoarse from yelling, and when JJ laughs off Shoresy’s half-assed chirp and reduces him to an irate “fuck you!”, Jonesy shares a look with Reilly and knows something is really wrong. Shoresy’s never been the one who was reduced to anything, so it’s more than slightly unnerving.

Coach is yelling and hollering in the locker room. Shoresy sits between Reilly and Jonesy again, even though this time, he had the option to sit somewhere else. He plops down between them, head hanging as he slouches forward. Reilly and Jonesy know a broken man when they see one.

Jonesy meets Reilly’s eye and glances down at Shoresy. Reilly seems to contemplate a moment before nodding his head. They both lift a hand and simultaneously lay them on Shoresy’s shoulders.

It’s awkward, and Shoresy barely acknowledges them, he just sits there and seems to be in his own world. His face is impossible to read from how he’s bent his head forward.

After almost ten seconds of no acknowledgment, Jonesy and Reilly let their hands fall and frown between them over Shoresy’s slouched back. If they can’t boost Shoresy’s morale, then their chances of winning are a lot slimmer.

Shoresy seems to square his shoulders and set his mind on something when Coach turns his yelling on him, which is new. 

None of their coaches have ever yelled at Shoresy, either too intimidated by him or because they admired his wit or abilities. To be fair, though, the coach for the native’s team is much better than their old coach from the Letterkenny Irish team. He’s the first coach they’ve ever seen try to hold Shoresy accountable for anything. 

Shoresy was an asshole, but he backs up his talk with results, at least. 

Jonesy and Reilly shift uncomfortably, and so does the rest of the team. If Shoresy is getting yelled at, then they’re well and truly fucked.

Shoresy is deadly silent when Coach leaves, and they all stand to head back out. He pats Jonesy’s shoulder and Reilly’s shoulder precisely two times as he walks past them. It almost seems like usual team camaraderie, but Shoresy’s never tried to really bond with them before (or anyone, when Jonesy thinks about it…). So a pat on the shoulder from Shoresy is so wildly out of character that Jonesy wonders for a second if he has a head injury.

There’s a new kind of fire in his eyes, though, and Jonesy doubts anyone could look that deadly and have a head injury at the same time. 

Well, except maybe Wayne…

Shoresy’s head is still bent down when they skate back onto the rink. JJ slides right up to Shoresy and says something while he points at the scoreboard. Shoresy stands up straight, sets his jaw, and then spins around like lightning to slash JJ right behind the knee with his stick.

Shoresy’s third stick of the night snaps in what is undoubtedly a disabling hit. His gloves are off instantly, his fists meeting JJ’s body, curling forward to add more force to his blows. Jonesy is close by and decides against stopping it. Instead, he blocks one of the other team’s players from getting in on the fight. 

They carry JJ off the rink, and then Shoresy is dragged off of the ice right after, chirping like the cat’s just gotten the canary. Jonesy and Reilly stare at his retreating figure in shock, then head over when the coach motions at them.

Shoresy gets a match penalty for the game. Coach is directing the team to a different game plan now that JJ and Shoresy are out the rest of the game. 

Shoresy sits on the other side of the bench, alone. When Jonesy and Reilly glance over to look at Shoresy, he’s already looking at them. He gives them a nod, helmet off, his face blank of all emotion. 

That’s when Jonesy realizes what exactly Shoresy did by attacking JJ. Shoresy took himself down with JJ (through not ideal means), giving Reilly and Jonesy the stage. The absence of the indomitable JJ makes their chances of winning shoot through the roof.

They do win, and it’s almost easy after the stress of the earlier parts of the match. Reilly and Jonesy work in sync like always, if not even better than usual. It feels like they blink, and then they’re holding up a trophy, sweating and sore and so elated that Jonesy can barely breathe.

The lid on the cup falls, and Jonesy and Reilly both look down at it, surprised out of cheering. When Jonesy glances up, Shoresy is skating towards them, smiling and cheering with all the other boys in tow. Jonesy and Reilly both start cheering again, pulling Shoresy into a hug once he’s close enough. The boys join in, and soon its a pile, and Jonesy can’t breathe under the crushing weight of a hockey team huddle. Still, he finds he doesn’t even care, too elated to worry about anything.

-

“Hey buddy, you think it was weird how Shoresy was today?” Reilly asks Jonesy as they walk towards Reilly’s jeep later that night to head to MoDean's 3. 

“Yeah, buddy,” Jonesy says. He tries to think about how he can even try to word what he feels about the day, but none come to him, so he settles for leaving the silence open.

Reilly and Jonesy’s phone’s both ding, and Jonesy sees that Shoresy has sent him and Reilly a text in a group chat. Of just the three of them.

 **Shoresy** : Good game.

Reilly and Jonesy look at each other, shocked.

 **Shoresy** : Titfuckers. 

Jonesy nods. Good old Shoresy. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have the uncanny ability to apparently overthink everything, even Shoresy's character...


End file.
